MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT DRIVES AFRICAN ECONOMIC CRISIS AS ENERGY AND FOOD PRICES SPIKE

The ongoing Middle East conflict is creating severe economic volatility across Africa, with sharp increases in energy, food, and fertilizer prices threatening food security and development progress. The African Development Bank, African Union Commission, UNDP, and UN Economic Commission for Africa are coordinating crisis response strategies and resilience-building recommendations for affected nations. This external shock compounds existing governance challenges, including democratic disillusionment driven by failure to deliver jobs and security. Four African countries remain at the bottom of global development indicator rankings, highlighting the continent's vulnerability to international economic shocks.